I’ve been meaning to do this for many a March 27th, now. Finally, I’ve gotten it together…-ish.
I’m sure there are already SO many fan-sites, stan-sites, and Lamb-sites out there, run by the most loyal and dedicated of Lambs. So, why should we care about Careyology?
I’m an OG fan. In the past I’ve called myself a “prehistoric Lamb”. I like to say “a fan before Lambs”. I was at the tail end of second grade, the first time I got wind of some new chick in the game who could SANG, named Mariah Carey. I’d been listening in on my oldest sister and her boyfriend raving about “Vision of Love”, and when I caught it on the radio (because 1990), I was impressed, excited, and intrigued.
That debut single played all summer in heavy rotation, and I sang along. KMOJ, “the Black station”, started to play “Love Takes Time”, too, although it hadn’t technically been released yet. I liked this new chick named Mariah Carey. Liked. LOVE came by the fall of third grade when “Someday” was released. That was my jam, and with that jam, Mariah Carey became my fave!
My momma got me Mariah Carey on cassette (because the early 90s), and from then on, through elementary school (Emotions, Music Box), to junior high (Merry Christmas, Daydream), to high school (Butterfly, Rainbow), I HAD to get each successive album on THE DAY that it dropped. I’d crack those cassettes–and by Butterfly, CDs–open, and play them on repeat, reading along (loooooooved that Mariah always included her song lyrics in the liner notes!) until I’d memorized most of the songs, eager to discuss the favorites amongst friends at school the next day.
All of that to say, Careyology is all about the music. That voice. That lyrical genius. That master of melody. I feel like, over the years, some fans/stans/Lambs have gotten more into the image (the beauty, the body, the hair, the gowns–the glam!) and the antics than anything else. True Lambs are here for it all, and that’s all good! But I’ve felt a differentiated form of fandom for quite some time, and in recent years, I’ve considered myself a Careyologist, a scholar of the music.
So, while many are focused on her beauty and bodaciousness, I want to focus on her brains, the mind behind the music. It’s time to regard Mariah Carey as the legendary artist–singer/songwriter/producer–that she is. And that’s what Careyology is here for.
Happy Bornday to Careyology.com, and Happy Anniversary to The Master!
***Sidebar: As I’m publishing this just after 9pm PDT, I must acknowledge that it’s now 3/28 on the East Coast, where Mariah is likely residing. So, Happy Belated…***
–TheCareyologist